1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates generally to integrated circuit (IC) chip fabrication, and more particularly, to photolithography illumination polarization monitoring.
2. Background Art
Current photolithographic scanners used in IC chip fabrication provide engineered illumination polarization states in order to provide enhanced imaging performance and process latitude. Knowledge of the polarization state of the illumination is important in order to provide the enhanced imaging performance. Although on-board metrology is being developed by scanner vendors, no commercially available method currently exists to independently monitor and/or measure these polarization states.